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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5246 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5246

  To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to expand the 
capacity of junior or community colleges and area career and technical 
education schools to conduct training services, education, and outreach 
    activities for careers in the residential construction industry.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 25, 2024

  Ms. Rosen (for herself and Mrs. Blackburn) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to expand the 
capacity of junior or community colleges and area career and technical 
education schools to conduct training services, education, and outreach 
    activities for careers in the residential construction industry.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Creating Opportunities for New 
Skills Training at Rural and Underserved Colleges and Trade Schools Act 
of 2024'' and ``CONSTRUCTS Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR CAREERS IN RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Innovation 
and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3221 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 172 as section 173; and
            (2) by inserting after section 171 the following:

``SEC. 172. EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR CAREERS IN RESIDENTIAL 
              CONSTRUCTION.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Incumbent worker.--The term `incumbent worker' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 680.780 of title 20, Code 
        of Federal Regulations, or a successor regulation.
            ``(2) Junior or community college.--The term `junior or 
        community college' has the meaning given the term in section 
        312 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058).
            ``(3) Rural area.--The term `rural area' means any--
                    ``(A) nonmetropolitan area; or
                    ``(B) rural area, as defined under section 520 of 
                the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490).
            ``(4) Underserved population.--The term `underserved 
        population' means a group of individuals with a common 
        demographic trait (such as individuals from the same gender, 
        race, or ethnicity), the members of which--
                    ``(A) based on the most recent satisfactory 
                demographic and employment data from the Bureau of the 
                Census, comprise a percentage of individuals employed 
                in the construction sector that is lower than the 
                percentage of the total population of the United States 
                comprised by such members;
                    ``(B) are low-income individuals;
                    ``(C) are individuals with barriers to employment; 
                or
                    ``(D) are veterans.
    ``(b) Establishment of Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Labor, in consultation 
        with the Secretary of Education, shall establish a program, 
        through which the Secretary of Labor shall award, on a 
        competitive basis, grants to eligible entities to expand their 
        capacity to provide training services, education, and outreach 
        activities for careers in the residential construction 
        industry.
            ``(2) Grant period.--A grant awarded under this section 
        shall be for a period of not more than 4 years.
    ``(c) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
this section, an entity shall be--
            ``(1) a junior or community college;
            ``(2) an area career and technical education school; or
            ``(3) a provider of training services, as described in 
        section 122(a)(2).
    ``(d) Applications.--An eligible entity that desires to receive a 
grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary 
of Labor at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
as the Secretary may require, including the following information:
            ``(1) A description of the new or expanded training 
        services, education, or outreach activities supported by the 
        grant, including a description of how the new training 
        services, education, or outreach activities will align with 
        existing programming related to careers in the residential 
        construction industry at the eligible entity, and the relevant 
        faculty or technical instructors employed by the eligible 
        entity on the date of the submission of the application or who 
        may be employed by the eligible entity to carry out the 
        training services, education, or outreach activities supported 
        by the grant.
            ``(2) A description of the populations that will be served 
        through the training services, education, or outreach 
        activities supported by the grant, including whether the 
        participants in such training services, education, or outreach 
        activities are--
                    ``(A) incumbent workers;
                    ``(B) individuals in rural areas;
                    ``(C) in-school youth; or
                    ``(D) part of an underserved population.
            ``(3) A description of the partnerships the eligible entity 
        will facilitate through the grant, including the process by 
        which the eligible entity will ensure that a partner provides 
        fair wages and benefits that are commensurate with local pay 
        and benefit packages, and a plan for sustaining activities and 
        partnerships supported by the grant after the completion of the 
        grant period.
            ``(4) A description of the anticipated outcomes of the 
        training services, education, or outreach activities supported 
        by the grant, including, at a minimum, the recognized 
        postsecondary credential, postsecondary credit, or degree to be 
        earned by participants, and a timetable showing how the 
        eligible entity will meet the primary indicators of performance 
        described in section 116(b)(2)(A).
            ``(5) A description of the intended impact of the training 
        services, education, or outreach activities on the local 
        housing market, including a description of how the new training 
        services, education, or outreach activities will increase the 
        supply of affordable housing.
            ``(6) Such other information as the Secretary may require.
    ``(e) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary of Labor shall give priority to eligible entities that serve 
rural areas or underserved populations.
    ``(f) Use of Funds.--
            ``(1) Required uses.--An eligible entity that receives a 
        grant under this section shall use the grant funds--
                    ``(A) to create or expand an evidence-based 
                education or training program to provide skills needed 
                in the residential construction industry, including 
                skills related to--
                            ``(i) carpentry;
                            ``(ii) framing;
                            ``(iii) masonry;
                            ``(iv) welding;
                            ``(v) plumbing;
                            ``(vi) electrical work;
                            ``(vii) construction management;
                            ``(viii) architecture;
                            ``(ix) HVAC;
                            ``(x) land surveying and geomatics
                            ``(xi) construction mathematics; and
                            ``(xii) such other trades as identified by 
                        the Department of Labor;
                    ``(B) to create or expand an education or training 
                program focused on increasing the skills of incumbent 
                workers who are residential construction workers;
                    ``(C) to create a partnership with a local 
                residential construction business or developer, either 
                alone or in conjunction with a nonprofit organization, 
                labor organization, entity in the State or local 
                workforce development system, sponsor of a pre-
                apprenticeship or apprenticeship program, YouthBuild 
                program, or another community partner, with a focus on 
                engaging with organizations that recruit employees or 
                program participants from underserved populations; and
                    ``(D) to facilitate outreach to secondary school 
                and elementary school students about the residential 
                construction industry and education and training 
                programs available under this section, which may 
                include developing dual or concurrent enrollment 
                programs (as defined under section 8101 of the 
                Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) for 
                secondary students to participate in such education and 
                training programs or integrating such programs in a 
                relevant career and technical education program 
                administered by an elementary school or secondary 
                school.
            ``(2) Permissive uses.--An eligible entity that receives a 
        grant under this section may use the grant funds--
                    ``(A) to hire technical instructors or other 
                faculty with demonstrated experience and expertise in 
                residential construction to lead education or training 
                programs related to skills and recognized postsecondary 
                credentials needed for a career in the residential 
                construction industry;
                    ``(B) to operate an education and training clinic 
                in a rural area or area not otherwise served by an 
                entity described in subsection (c), to the extent 
                necessary and practicable;
                    ``(C) to develop promotion materials for the 
                purpose of increasing awareness of the training 
                services, education, or outreach activities; or
                    ``(D) to provide supportive services through merit-
                based and needs-based scholarships, to promote 
                retention in, and completion of--
                            ``(i) an education or training program 
                        supported under this section; or
                            ``(ii) tests or coursework related to 
                        certification.
    ``(g) Assistance; Flexible Schedules.--An eligible entity that 
receives a grant under this section shall--
            ``(1) use flexible schedules in carrying out the education 
        or training program, including night classes, part-time 
        schedules, and online curricula, to accommodate individuals who 
        work during the day or live in rural areas; and
            ``(2) provide an individual, upon completion of the 
        education or training program, supportive services for job 
        search and placement to ensure the success of such individuals 
        in achieving the education and career goals.
    ``(h) Compliance With Applicable Laws.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each recipient of funds under this 
        section, and any entity that enters into a partnership with 
        such recipient for the purpose of this Act, shall attest to the 
        Secretary of Labor that the recipient or entity--
                    ``(A) is in compliance with each Federal, State, 
                and local labor law;
                    ``(B) will remain in compliance with each Federal, 
                State, and local labor law; and
                    ``(C) is not subject to a pending action or case 
                relating to a violation of any law enforced by the 
                Department of Labor, Federal Labor Relations Authority, 
                Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or National 
                Labor Relations Board.
            ``(2) Federal, state, and local labor law.--In this 
        subsection, the term `Federal, State, and local labor law' 
        means any Federal, State, or local labor law that would be 
        applicable to the recipient or entity described in paragraph 
        (1), as determined by the Secretary of Labor.
    ``(i) Performance Accountability.--
            ``(1) In general.--An eligible entity that receives a grant 
        under this section shall, not later than 18 months after 
        receiving such grant and annually thereafter for the duration 
        of the grant period, submit to the Secretary of Labor a report 
        containing the eligible entity's outcomes with respect to the 
        primary indicators of performance described in section 
        116(b)(2)(A).
            ``(2) Report to congress.--Not later than 6 months after 
        receiving initial reports from each eligible entity receiving a 
        grant under this section, the Secretary shall prepare and 
        submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
        Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the 
        Workforce of the House of Representatives a report containing, 
        at a minimum, the information described in paragraph (1) for 
        each such eligible entity.
    ``(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $20,000,000 to carry out this section for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2029.''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of 
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is amended--
            (1) by striking the item relating to section 172; and
            (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 171 the 
        following:

``Sec. 172. Education and training for careers in residential 
                            construction.
``Sec. 173. Authorization of appropriations.''.
                                 <all>
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